


Crown Them The Circus Kings

by wackyjacqs



Series: Bizarre Holidays [226]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-17
Packaged: 2020-12-21 09:08:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21072401
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wackyjacqs/pseuds/wackyjacqs
Summary: Jack smiled as he took a seat opposite George Hammond. It hadn’t been an easy six weeks but since taking over the SGC from Harry Maybourne and Robert Kinsey, the two men had worked hard with their own small team to turn around the working practices and public perception of the ‘Stargate Circus’ from its previous owners.





	Crown Them The Circus Kings

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ‘World Elephant Day’ (12 August). AU; and I know I say this about all of my AUs but this probably is the most random one yet. There is a reference to an elephant… but that’s pretty much the only link this fic has to the holiday.

Jack smiled as he took a seat opposite George Hammond. It hadn’t been an easy six weeks but since taking over the SGC from Harry Maybourne and Robert Kinsey, the two men had worked hard with their own small team to turn around the working practices and public perception of the ‘Stargate Circus’ from its previous owners.

Having happily shown them the door, one of the first things Jack and George had agreed upon was to stop the use of animals performing as part of the show. Having rescued the animals, Jack immediately took it upon himself to make sure they had food and water and were no longer locked up in their small cages. It didn’t take long for them, particularly the elephants, to seemingly trust him and when they decided it was safe, George had subsequently called in Janet Frasier to check them over. They received the all-clear and plans were now in place to have the animals moved to a sanctuary. So, with no more animal acts, the men had decided to place the shows’ focus on their people and the unique skills each of them possessed.

There was Daniel Jackson and Jonas Quinn on the teeterboard; Cam Mitchell played the circus clown; while Vala was a natural on the silks and trapeze, with Teal’c known for being the group’s resident knife thrower and fire eater. Then, you had Jack as ringmaster, while Hammond – alongside his assistant Walter – worked behind-the-scenes to make sure everything ran smoothly front-of-house.

“How’s everyone today, Jack?”

“Fine, sir,” he said. “A little nervous, but ready and raring to go.”

“That’s good to hear son. It looks like it’s going to be a sell-out crowd for opening night.”

“It always is, George.”

A soft chuckle escaped the older man as he leaned back into his chair. “It’s looking good for the whole run,” he continued. “Very few tickets remain.”

“It’s nice to be in a place for more than a week this time,” Jack said by way of agreement. The team were also trying to move away from the idea of a continually traveling circus and instead set up more permanent bases for longer. Their newest setup, just outside of Colorado Springs, would be their home for the next six weeks.

“Here is today’s schedule,” George said, pulling Jack from his thoughts as he handed over a clipboard full of spreadsheets and checklists.

“Anything different I should know about?”

“No. Just make sure after final rehearsals, that your team are well rested for tonight.”

“Will do, sir,” Jack answered, throwing his commander a sloppy salute as he got to his feet and left the office.

* * *

“OK,” Jack said loudly, clapping his hands together to get everyone’s attention as he entered the main circus ring. “As we all know, tonight is opening night for the new SGC. A lot is riding on this,” he continued, his voice lowering slightly as he took the time to look at every member of his team, “but we’re good at what we do. Go and get geared up.”

Jack decided to forgo his costume; in part, because he hated how uncomfortable it was to wear, so he stuck to his jeans and flannel shirt, and instead of following the rest of the team as they got changed and into position for their final dress rehearsal, he focused on the clipboard Hammond had given him earlier. He flicked through the notes. Cam would be the first to make an appearance, to warm up the crowd, before Jack would follow with his introduction of the show before Vala would take to the air for her trapeze act.

Everything was going perfectly fine until Vala decided towards the end of her routine, that she would switch it up. Thankfully, she was only three feet in the air as opposed to thirty, but the change still resulted in her grip slipping from the bar, missing the safety net and her hitting the ground _hard._

A quick examination from Janet revealed a sprained ankle, effectively ruling her out of the week’s performances.

“What are we going to do, Jack?”

“It’ll be fine, Daniel,” he sighed, although he wasn’t quite sure who he would get to fill the space at such a short notice. For logistical and safety reasons, it wasn’t as simple as just slotting in another person.

“With all due respect, sir,” Janet chipped in as she packed away the last of her medical supplies, “I know someone who might be able to help.”

He studied her for a minute, then folded his arms across his chest. “They have any experience with this kind of thing?”

“Yes,” she nodded.

“How soon do you reckon they could be here?”

“If they are in the area? Within the hour.”

“Call ‘em,” he ordered. “I’ll go update George.”

True to Janet’s word, almost an hour later, she popped her head around the door to Hammond’s office to say Vala’s replacement had arrived. It didn’t mean they would actually perform in the show, but the team were potentially one step closer to solving the problem than they had been before lunch; and with a promise to let Hammond know as soon as possible if they would be able to pull this off in time, Jack followed Janet to the outdoor training ground.

“They’re down by the elephants,” she offered, before she turned on her heel.

He frowned. “Aren’t you going to introduce us?”

She hesitated for a moment, then gave him a small, unintelligible smile. His frown deepened in response.

“No,” she finally answered. “I think you’ll be just fine.”

He watched her leave before he sighed heavily and continued towards his intended destination. As he reached the area, he slowed when he caught sight of a woman dressed in a leather jacket and pants gently running her hand along the trunk of Nellie, one of the female elephants they’d rescued. He couldn’t really tell much from this distance, but he could see that the stranger was young and pretty. For some reason, he assumed the person Janet knew would be a man, so it was a pleasant surprise to be proved wrong. He was just deciding how best to approach her when she looked up and met his gaze. The first thing Jack noticed was her eyes and how he could quite easily get lost in them.

She took a step towards him, smiled and extended a hand.

“You must be Jack O’Neill,” she said. “I’m Sam Carter. Janet said I might be able to help you.”

“Uh…”

“With the circus,” she added, a touch of hesitation in her voice. “She said one of your acts –”

_“Oh,”_ he interrupted, finally paying attention to their conversation and he nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Vala… well, Vala was being Vala and it… didn’t end well. You’ll soon see,” he added with a shrug.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she offered and he smiled in acknowledgment.

“So,” he said, when he realized he’d been staring. “What’s your skill set?”

“Trapeze and aerial hoop,” she confirmed. “The Globe of Death too, when needed.”

He froze at that last piece of information then shrugged. There was absolutely no denying the fact that Sam was pretty, very pretty, so it made sense that she would be the beautiful assistant that stood in the center of the sphere while the stunt riders circled their motorcycles around her.

“Had any close calls?”

“Not really,” she said, but there was a touch of confidence to her answer that made Jack pay attention. “It’s just science.”

“Science?” he repeated. “To stand still inside a sphere ball.”

_“Oh,”_ she drawled, then suddenly smirked. “I guess Janet never told you.”

“Told me what,” he said suspiciously.

“I don’t stand anywhere.”

“Well, if you don’t stand,” he fired back, “what the hell do you do?”

She raised an eyebrow at him and gave him a look that Jack could only describe as _hot_, but he refused to let that train of thought show. After a beat, Sam gestured towards her attire and Jack gladly used the opportunity to study her. It took a few seconds before the different pieces of the puzzle finally clicked into place.

“You’re one of the stunt riders.”

“Got it in one,” she laughed.

All of a sudden, Jack O’Neill had a newfound appreciation for the woman standing in front of him but all he could manage was a pathetic, “Huh. That’s – that’s… cool.”

A silence fell between them as they exchanged glances but it was Sam who recovered first.

“So,” she smiled, glancing around. “Am I the kind of person you’re looking for?”

“Oh, yeah. You’re just the one,” he murmured, throwing her a lopsided grin.

Before he could stop himself, he gestured for her to follow and as he led the way towards the main circus tent, he couldn’t help but smile. He had a feeling this could turn out to be the greatest show of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> Completely random fact, but I used to be a part of a circus school and writing this fic made me really, _really_ miss those days!
> 
> For anyone who isn’t sure, the teeterboard is the apparatus that resembles a playground seesaw. The Globe of Death (or Globe of Steel as it’s sometimes known because it sounds more family-friendly) is where stunt riders ride motorcycles inside a large mesh sphere ball, looping both horizontally and vertically, while a person stands in the center.


End file.
